Missions: Into The Unknown

[Hero]

Much better. I think though that it needs to be a bit more dramatic.

The reason why I finally posted was because I finally had an opengameart account. I had being trying to post it here and it was just too big. Only lately did I realise that it would have been 1.7 mb if I had simply transferred it to ogg.

I agree with the music. I also must note that there are no set down plans for a boss battle. However as a side project I've been thinking of having a giant male seen sit on top of the computers you need to put a card into in each level. It's tentacles would keep coming down on you. A pretty one-sided battle because you would only be allowed to dodge.

[Hero]

For the last bit I've had the arrogance to not post screenshots and let you think that everything looks great. Now however I have a screenshot... along with some news.

I've created the lose scene/seen. In this scene, seen body parts expand out of you until you look like one of them. And finally the gates close and you see:

sorryyouloststamp.png!

[Hero]

Not much progress in the last day or two since I'm working on another project which demands a lot of attention. All I can say is that it involves open games and the programming language HTML (commonly used for, but not restricted to, website programming). However I can announce one thing.

You now have a health and amo system. For health you start at 5 and once you reach 0 you will "die" in a nice, but rather cartoony, cutscene. For amo you will start out at ten but reduce steadily until you cannot fire. Of course you can get more amo AND more health, not by picking things up, but by waiting.

Another thing. I was wondering if anyone would like a time limit on the game? Such as "after 45 minutes of play the game quits"? It's an interesting idea and will present a small problem in Blender but would be fun to work out. Of course it could be disabled. Maybe we'll add the option in as a feature for worried parents and add in something hard for kids to figure out. Of course in the age of Google this could be difficult.

One more thing about the seperate project. ZXQ. Thank you very much.

[farcodev]

Keep it up!

[Hero]

Okay. After about 4 days of work and 30 days of dreams I can tell you what I've been working on.

opengameforums.zxq.net!
A forum for the open and free game. A place where open games can be open.

So why do we need another forum? After all we have one here and it's better then any, especially ours, could ever be. The concept is a forum where anyone can ask for their own forum. We'll check if it's an open game and if it's small or large. Then if we think it's large enough we'll give them a forum. If it's not big enough they can have a topic, or more, in project show case and collaboration.

Second. You can ask for services in making games or put up same services on the forums.

And third we can have our own forum. Simple and sweet.

Also on this forum we'll have something called a tree which is our replacement for SVN.

We confirm accounts once a day.

Thanks,
Hero

[qubodup]

opengameforums.zxq.net!

Is this a free hosting solution?

If you have control over it, make sure to make daily backups. We had a free service forum back in... 2006? 2007? and then there was data loss (was it a month or more?). Later, we had another complete data loss ( see http://oldforum.freegamedev.net/ ) because we hadn't taken attention to what we have to back up (turned out that particular forum software used plaintext to store messages, while we only backed up the database).

If you hadn't noticed: we offer subforums to projects too: viewforum.php?f=13

Also on this forum we'll have something called a tree which is our replacement for SVN.

It's a shame that you can't use something more convenient but it's great that you're dealing with your limitation on options!

Good luck with your forums. Remember to make backups!

[charlie]

Tree?

Why the new RCS/SCM? What about Git? Mercurial? Darcs etc...

Have you tried http://www.bitbucket.org or http://www.github.com?

The concept is a forum where anyone can ask for their own forum.

That's basically what Featured Projects is here.

[Hero]

Back-ups. Thanks. I'll make some.

Tree? It was an old idea of mine so that we can do it more easily. It's just a concept and not software and can be used with forums, websites, etc.. It was a lot easier then teaching ourselves how to use the other stuff.

We're using PHPBB mostly inspired with your work.

We have a lot of control over the files. I could go in there and delete everything in a bout 30 minutes (the length it take for FileZilla and the servers to do it).

A bonus. We allow guest comments. However they must do captchas every time so spam bots still have it difficult.

[Hero]

Hello everyone!

I'm still going to give some updates here so that more can be converted.

For the last few days I've been working on an add-ons concept. The old Yo Frankie could except add-ons the moment they were put in his folder. But unfortunately I am not so good at Python coding and therefore will have to settle for a different method. Of course if anyone could come up with a script to do it we would be most grateful. Right now we have a method in the works that will allow something like 99 add-ons. Maybe we'll change that number.

And of course we need an add-ons site!

The reason why we haven't yet made an Into The Unknown site is because we'll never be able to provide download of the game from there. Our host only allows 15 mb for single files (we have 6 gb of total file storage) so we can't upload the game. Of course anyone is welcome to do it themselves and then we could probably link to it.

But add-ons are much, much, much, much smaller so an add-on site is easy. So let's see my progress on it: unknownaddons.zxq.net!

Thanks,
Hero

[Hero]

I think we'll use Wasteland when you are near a large group of Seen. Com-Mecha will probably be used for a temple level which I just came up with and potentially at the start of The Big One. Remember with new advances in Blender we can now have music play in certain regions.

If someone could translate all Mp3s to oggs that would be good. OGG Vorbis is much smaller.

It would help if those contributing posted on our contributors forum and talking in general on opengameforums.zxq.net.

Just a note: I'm setting up a version of the tree on unknownaddons.zxq.net as well so that we can more easily use the tree.

Unfortunatly any other repos are made for code. As we use Blender the "code" we use is much different. Logic can be illogical.

[Hero]

I'm sorry... everyone... I've... - created - ... something that... canavoidobjects!

I've finally got the AI to avoid objects. Took me about two minutes once I got to it. Anyway our seen will avoid any object we ask it to if it gets. It will basically stop it's search for the Hero, move to the left or right and then continue the search.

And here's a snap of the game. Hope it's to your liking:

Also I've added some stumps to the Overworld. Actually it's starting to look a bit to light to I think I'll add some fog. Home sweet game-dev-finished is in site.

It's... ALIVE!

[Hero]

Hi all,

We finally decided. Here is our likelihood of porting from the Linux version. Remember this Linux version is compatible only with our machines so we'll need to port to Linux again for play there.

OS | State of completion | Likelihood to succeed
| |
Linux | 10% | 33%
| |
Windows (XP/Vista) | 0% | 80%
| |
Mac OS X | 0% | 50%

We're using precise numbers here. They're exact fractions so keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks,
PortMaster

[0zone0ne]

Finished (as far as I am currently concerned) Toxic waste level music.

[Hero]

Hmm, it still doesn't sound right but that is pretty close. I think we'll use it anyway. It's definitely better then any of my junk. But you can improve it any-time you want. Thanks.

If there is any other music for the project you want to improve just tell me. You can find the current state of the music at https://bitbucket.org/downdate/neonunkn ... udio/music? . Your music is almost TOO good for us.

Thanks,
Hero

[0zone0ne]

Steadily improving things over time suits me best, since I am a huge perfectionist.
I guess as soon as the first version is released I will be able to play some of the levels and see what needs more music.

[Hero]

Hopefully yes. My alpha release will contain Metropolitan which you are composing for and an abstract level just to test out the principals.

By the way you can give route plans and ideas for levels if you want.

[0zone0ne]

I did some very quick concept art. This could be the area the robot crash lands in. After a while you would come across the deserted ruins of a city, then some seen would jump out of the buildings, things would explode, stuff like that.

[Hero]

Thanks. I'll also make a level of this as it would be important to the story.

Just a developing version:

We see in a cutscene the craft crash. After that you play and find the seen. An inner dialogue will progress on the bottom of the screen.

After you beat the seen in the immediate area you cultivate it. After all you are a robot which has made the great - - and terrible step - - to life! Thus we have overworld. The first level will happen every start up but can be skipped. A larger version of it without the inner dialogue will be available from level select.

Thanks for the concept art, you're good at it. All my stuff was for menus...

Oh and your art may be good for the background of the level. I may also work with your other seen drawing for an inscription on the walls of the city.

[Hero]

REJOICE FOR I'VE FINISHED THE LEVEL TEMPLATE!

Okay only for v0.1 Alpha 1 and it will probably change yet. But this means I can work on levels. And you can too! Here is the level template for your use. I don't quite have time to make documentation so I can give instructions on the forums. Preferably on OGA though as that is more of the space for multiple topics.

Level_Template.blend

(3.06 MiB) Downloaded 179 times

However it is best to download the entire repo for all textures and data files and for the whole bit of junk to work. https://bitbucket.org/downdate/neonunknown

[Hero]

Just a note: I'm half way through the abstract level. I have now a blue platform with domino pyramids, pick-ups, seen, propellers, etc.. It is getting to be a very difficult level.

I've changed the camera position so that it now uses a slow parent and is directly behind and slightly above the hero.

[Hero]

OzoneOne: You'll be happy to know that the level you came up with is coming to life. Here is the current state of the models (untextured):

More concept art would be welcome.

Thanks,
Hero

[0zone0ne]

I had the idea of a level in the atmosphere of a gas giant. There would be giant, crystal-like objects floating around that you would need to use to navigate around.

[Hero]

It's an idea... I'll probably make a lot of what you suggest and then use them as add-ons... What if it's not a gas GIANT but one of the planets gas MOONS.

We seem to be interested in the same thing: the mysteries of space!

Good art. But could you expand the level 1 landscape please on the X axis? Then we can probably make sky out of it.

Thanks,
Hero

[Hero]

Not much lately, just working on figuring out how to release the **** thing. We're working on coding websites (a bit out of my depth), signing contracts, searching Google, advertising... etc.

Continue to contribute and the game will continue to take form.

Just a note. We seem to have a problem with playing sound. If anyone knows how to fix this (Blender 2.63a) we would be "Eternally Grateful"!

Thanks,
Hero

[Hero]

Okay,

Into The Unknown on Blogger: http://www.neonunknown.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Hero